A funeral service was held this morning in remembrance of
14-year-old Rashawn Williams, who was fatally stabbed in San Francisco's
Mission District last week.

The funeral was held at San Francisco's Cathedral of St. Mary of
the Assumption at 1111 Gough St. at 9 a.m., according to family members.

A memorial fund to help the family of "lil Shawnito" cover the
cost of the funeral was created by friends and family at
Gofundme.com/Rashawn-Williams and a Wells Fargo account to collect donations
has also been set up under the Rashawn Williams Memorial Fund.

The funeral colors were white for life and green for Rashawn's
favorite color, family member Sonia Castro wrote on the GoFundMe website.

While the public was invited to attend the funeral, the family
asked that photographs of the coffin not be posted on social media.

On the GoFundMe fundraising page, the family said Rashawn was
stabbed while buying candy at a corner store and that he was "brought down by
a senseless act of violence."

San Francisco police said a male suspect stabbed Rashawn at about
6:50 p.m. on Sept. 2 at a market near the intersection of 25th and Folsom
streets.

Police arrested a 14-year-old boy the following day in connection
with the fatal stabbing. The name of the suspect is not being released
because he is a juvenile.

Police said the homicide does not appear to be random but they
were not releasing any details about a possible motive.

According to school officials, Rashawn was stabbed after entering
the convenience store with a member of his family.

Rashawn's mother transported him to California Pacific Medical
Center's St. Luke's Campus and paramedics transported him from there to San
Francisco General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Rashawn entered the private Catholic high school with a 4.0 GPA
from Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 school and was a member of the freshman
football team, according to Buell.

Members of the community placed flowers, candles and balloons
outside the market where Rashawn was stabbed and, as of this morning, $18,440
had been raised through GoFundMe to help with funeral costs since his death.

According to a statement from Rashawn's family on the fundraising
site, the family is hoping to raise $20,000 and is asking the community to
make donations and to "help us through whatever means possible to stamp out
atrocities like this in the future."